Sergio MACHADO, Flávia PAES, João Lucas LIMA
Alpha Psychiatry - 2026;27(1):45867-45867
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has traditionally been understood through the lens of deficits in Theory of Mind (ToM), which emphasizes challenges in inferring the mental states of others. However, emerging research has suggested a paradigm shift: the core of autism may lie in affective empathy, specifically in a disruption of intercorporeality, which is the pre-reflective, bodily connection that underpins our ability to attune to others emotionally. This perspective challenges interventions that prioritize cognitive training and redefines the notion of social deficit in autism as a lack of resonance with others rather than merely a failure to understand them.
